This is the main board on The Outhouse, where Outhousers talk about everything. No topics are off limits, and it doesn't have to be about comics. All the topics from the other boards also show up in The Asylum, so you never have to leave1

Overall, I have to say a good year, despite some setbacks. We moved to a two bedroom town home from our old two bedroom flat, which is definitely an upgrade. A ton more room, and in a very nice town that we enjoy living in. We got rid of our microwave and have tried to cook more foods from scratch using whole food ingredients (not ALL foods, but some). Did well at my job.

Kids had issues in their first school, but we ended up getting them moved to a much better school that they love now. Amy had a lot of health issues at the end of the year, but on the other hand, we managed to afford insurance for her for the first time in years, so she can finally get those things taken care of. So i like to look at the positive side of those things.

I had a good year, all said. I mean, I got the position I wanted and am now both researching and lecturing, so I can't complain. I'm a professional academic, and that's what I had been working toward for a long time.

My doctoral thesis is going to be an investigation of the cultural evolution of the monomyth, in terms not only of traditional literature but also comic books, graphic novels, film and TV. My primary texts are essentially The Invisibles, Promethea and Buffy (thought there are several dozen others, even at this early stage). Essentially, I'm fusing biocultural literary criticism with the older and more overlooked ideas behind archetypal criticism and structural anthropology to see if I can't come up with something new.

I also teach Academic Writing, English Literature and English Speaking Cultures at what we call 'A' level (in other words, the equivalent of 101) and part of the Masters courses in Speculative Fiction (Precursors and Hard SF in semester one and Vampire Fiction in semester two). I've also been asked to develop a lecture in semiotics for students of film studies, and am starting to develop a Masters-level course in comics and GNs with a couple of colleagues.